Box Score JACKSON, Tenn. – Trying to finish a third consecutive game with a come from behind win, the Union University men's basketball team came up short Saturday afternoon falling 63-62 to the University of West Georgia. Union dropped to 10-8 overall, 6-6 in the Gulf South Conference. West Georgia improved 13-7 and 5-6 in the Gulf South Conference.
This marked the third straight game for Union to be decided by one point. Union posted an 80-79 win over West Alabama, followed by an 83-82 overtime win over Shorter (Ga.).
A slow moving first half was different for these teams as each had scored 80 or more points in their last two outings.
Ashanti Day got Union off to a good start with the first four points. An
AJ Roberts basket put Union up 6-2. The Wolves Taylor Cochran hit a 3-point shot at 10:53 to pull within a point, 12-11. The Bulldogs scored the next seven points on a layup from
Eric Leisey and five points by
Roy Bullock to acquire a 19-11 lead. Bullock hit his second 3-point shot of the half for a 22-13 advantage.
Zach Taulien of West Georgia hit a 3-point basket to cap a 7-0 run that cut score to 22-20 with 2:50 remaining. Union had four turnovers in the last 4:24 of the half and made two of their final five shot attempts. West Georgia ended the half making their last four shots to go into halftime tied 27-27.
Less than a minute into the second half the Wolves led 31-27. With the score tied 33-33 West Georgia made three layups (Phillip Flowers, Thomas Higginbotham, Deonta Stocks) to take a 39-33 edge. Union responded with a 6-0 run to tie the score 39-39. A 17-7 burst by the Wolves capped by a Ryan Godfrey 3-point shot made the tally 56-46 with 7:02 left.
Corieon Pearson hit a 3-point bucket to end an 11-2 Bulldogs surge that sliced the score to 58-57. Bullock tied the game 62-62 with a pair of free throws with 60 seconds left. Higginbotham made the back end of two free-throws with 11 seconds on the clock for the winning point escaping Fred DeLay Gymnasium with a 63-62 win.
Union was led by the 14 points of Bullock and 13 from Roberts. Day and Pearson scored nine points apiece for Union.
Eric Leisey scored seven points and tied a career high by ripping down a game high 11 rebounds. Union turned the ball over 15 times in the game, eight times in the final half, twice in the last 30 seconds. West Georgia made nine turnovers. Union outrebounded West Georgia 37-32.
Godfrey had 12 points to pace the West Georgia offense. Stocks scored 11 points, nine in the second half and Lavon Gray put in 10 points. Flowers had nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds.
Union will travel to North Alabama on Tuesday for an 8:00 p.m. game.
#UNION#
